1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wine preservation and dispensing apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a seal assembly for a dispensing nozzle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wine is a very popular beverage, and its popularity within the United States has recently increased substantially. Most wine is distributed to consumers in bottles that are sealed with a cork to prevent exposure to the air and to preserve the wine. Since removal of the cork exposes the wine to air and ultimately oxidation of the wine, wine will begin to degrade as soon as the wine bottle is open. As such, many people will only drink wine when they are drinking an entire bottle. In addition, many restaurants and bars require most wines to be bought by the bottle and offer a limited number of wine choices for those wishing to purchase only a single glass of wine.
More particularly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that from the instant one opens a bottle of wine the air begins to affect the character of the wine. This is a process known as oxidation and is readily recognizable. While it is widely held that allowing the wine to “breathe” is beneficial, it is the opinion of many people excessive exposure to air can negatively affect the wine's taste. In fact, it is understood oxidation can begin to break down the character of a young, red wine in as little as six hours, while white wines and older red wines may begin to suffer in only two hours. This means some wine drinkers will be able to notice a reduction in the aromatic qualities of the wine, a negative change in the color of the wine and flat, stale and/or lifeless taste in the wine.
With the foregoing in mind, attempts have been made to reduce the oxidation and degradation of wine once a wine bottle is opened. While these attempts have achieved some success, a need continues to exist for a system which will provide for the preservation and dispensing of wine in a manner allowing an individual to only drink a single glass of wine and save the remainder for a later time or allow a restaurant to serve wine by the glass without worrying the wine sold later to another consumer is of a lower quality than the wine when it was initially opened.
The present invention addresses these problems by providing a wine preservation and dispensing system which may be utilized by either a restaurant/bar or a home consumer. More particularly, the present invention provides a seal assembly allowing the wine preservation and dispensing system to operate in a highly efficient manner.